As a reporter, your testimony and opinion is not an important part of the story. Instead, it’s your job to talk and collect information from other people. As such, your story should not be told from a first person perspective. If what you see cannot be denied by anyone else who sees the same thing, those same details can be given in the story in the journalistic third person perspective.
In This Lesson
Eliminating the “I” - Writing in the Third Person
- First person vs. second person vs. third person
- Why should I write in the third person for journalism?
- How to switch your writing to the third person
- Exceptions for writing in the first and second person
[Click here to view and use the presentation “Eliminating the ‘I’ - Writing in the Third Person”]
Activity
Transitioning to Third Person
Students will first practice identifying and differentiating between writing in the first and second person perspectives. They will then view five story passages and practice converting these types of writing to the third person using strategies outlined in the presentation.
[Click here to view and print the handout “Transitioning to Third Person”]